Tidal hydraulic-power plant.



rinrrn AUGUST HANSS, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

TIDAL HYDRAULIC-POWER PLANT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUeUsT HANss, a subject of the German Emperor, andresiding at Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tidal I-Iy draulic-Power Plants, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to tidal hydraulic power plants for continuouslyutilizing the How and ebb of the oceans and waters connected therewith.

It is well-known to insert a prime mover, generally a turbine, betweenan upper and a lower basin for utilizing flood and ebb as motive force.The upper basin has been used for receiving driving water during theflow of the tide and the lower for collecting the water which isdischarged therefrom. Frequently, an additional auxiliary basin has beenarranged beside the two basins, generally for the purpose of storingdriving water and guaranteeing uninterrupted operation in the event ofthe water supplied by the flood not sufiicing. Auxiliary basins havealso been employed for the purpose of increasing at low water the smalldifference of height between the water-levels in the upper and lowerbasins, by the water of the lower basin being shared, according to thelaw of communicating tubes, by the auxiliary basin by means of a tubeopening into the bottom of the lower basin.

Now a primary object of my invention is to provide that a constant headis obtained with abnormal conditions of the tide, for example when thereis a strong sea wind, and also during the semimonthly inequality whenthe flood remains longer than usual at the highest level. For if nosuitable provision be made, so much water will collect in the lowerbasin that the water for the prime mover is dammed back and theefficiency is diminished, the prime mover becomes flooded, and theworking of the plant is disturbed. To this end I arrange that water issupplied automatically to the auxiliary basin through tubes from thehighest point in the lower basin up to which the waste water may risewithout damage being done. But this water collected in the auxiliarybasin is not employed again as driving water, as was usual whenauxiliary basins were employed heretofore, but is run off in due courseinto the sea.

One illustrative embodiment of my inven- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed September 14, 1910.

Patented Mar 1d, 1911.

Serial No. 581,999.

tion is represented by way of example in the accompanying drawing,wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing theentire plant comprising the turbine, and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan ofthe plant comprising at each side a sluice serving as inflow and outflowculvert.

Referring to the drawing, my hydraulic plant comprises the upper basinor reservoir a and the lower basin 1) whose bottom is located lower thanthe bottom of the basin a a distance equal to the working head. Betweenthe two basins is a shaft or flume open toward the basin Z1, and aturbine 05 which is varied in height by means of a lifting device drivenin the manner of a lift corresponding to the rise and fall of thewater-level in the basin a is built into this shaft. A gate 0 which canbe opened corresponding to the water required for the turbine allowswater to flow from the basin a into the basin 7). When the floodbeginsthe rising water closes in front. of it the valves 6 of the lower basin2) which is situated nearest the sea and in front of the upper basin (1.As the water rises further it opens the valves a of the basin aninwardly until the tide has reached its highest level, more waterflowing in from the sea than is used by the turbine. When the ebb beginsthe inwardly-opening valves a, close and the basin on now acts in itsproper capacity as a reservoir for supplying the turbine. Some hoursafter the commencement of the ebb the exterior water will be at the samelevel -as the water in the basin 6, the valves 5 will have openedoutwardly and water will have flowed from the basin 7) into the seauntil the water has reached the lowest level of the ebb. The valves 6are then closed by the commencing flood, and the water which is utilizedby the turbine collects in the basin Z). While the basin (4 is beinggradually emptied the flood rises again so high that the basin a isfilled afresh. It is well-known to obtain continuous working as abovedescribed. Now when abnormal conditions of tide occur I prevent theefficiency of the plant from being diminished and the turbine from beingflooded by connecting the auxiliary basin f by one or more tubes 9with'the lower basin 6. The mouths of the tubes 9 in the lower basin 6are at such a height that under normal conditions they are not reachedby the water in the basin; When abnormal conditions occur the basin bcan fill up to the mouths of the tubes 7 and then the auxiliary basin fautomatically takes over the function'of collecting that quantity ofwaste water which the lower basin 6 must not'receive in order that theplant may continue to operate conti uously normally with the same head.a

The one or more tubes are built in the 10 Walls of the basins in suchmanner that the" inflow of water into the basin a is not im peded. Thewater collected in the auxiliary basin f is let out into the sea duringebbtide by means of suitable outwardly-opening 15 valves f I claim i Intidal hydraulic power plant of the character described, the combination,with an upper basin or reservoir having inwardlymore tubes opening intosaid lower basin for supplying water therefrom into said auxiliarybasin, the mouth or mouths of said one or more tubes'in the lower basinbeing located at the highest point thereof to which water may rise formaintaining a constant 1 head.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

AUGUST HANSS.

WVitnesses HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, v

washington, I). (2.7

